“I’ve read BEYOND BRAWN. Is the New BRAWN still relevant for me?“

For sure. From BEYOND BRAWN you should already have a good grasp of the principles of effective bodybuilding, and you’ll have come across a few short mentions of Course #1 (albeit not by that particular name), but BB has very little information on exercise technique and next to nothing on the specifics of how to implement Course #1.

“I’ve already read all of your other guides. Is the New BRAWN still relevant for me?“

Yes. A substantial portion of the new manual is comprised of segments from some of the other guides, but tailored specifically to the legendary routine. The new manual also has essential information that I’ve never written about before. There’s much more to Course #1 than you probably think there is. Because you’ve already read my other guides, the new one won’t be a revelation, but it will still pump you up to implement the legendary workout routine properly, and reinvigorate your bodybuilding progress.

“I haven’t read any of your guides. Is the New BRAWN a good one for me to start with?“

Absolutely. It will probably be an eye opener for you. As I wrote New BRAWN I had in mind people who are new to the training I promote but who aren’t interested in reading big guides. I made the new one as simple as possible yet still comprehensive for Course #1. From just this one easy-to-read manual you can get everything you need to know to make terrific bodybuilding progress.

“Is your guide just a rehash of the 20-rep squat routine?“

No. I’ve made substantial modifications to the traditional 20-rep squat routine, to produce Course #1. This New BRAWN guide is a 200-page study of how to implement Course #1 properly, with variations to accommodate different individuals. And it teaches you how to personalize the routine to best suit you. This routine has never been described with the thoroughness that this manual provides. Without a thorough understanding of the routine you’re unlikely to be able to fully exploit its terrific potential.

“Is the foundation phase in the new guide just exercise form and getting flexible?“

No. There’s much more to that phase than becoming sufficiently supple, and learning the exercise technique of the appropriate exercises.

“Do I have to gain a lot of fat while I gain a lot of muscle?“

Absolutely not. Excessive gain of body fat is one of the most common mistakes made with the 20-rep squat routine. In the manual I carefully explain how to build a lot of muscle while still ending up with a lean physique.

“Why did you choose this particular routine?“

Because it had more impact on me than any other routine, and because it’s so famous in its own right. Due to my ignorance at the time, I made many mistakes with my implementation of the routine, but I also did some things right. I learned a great deal from those experiences, and from subsequent study of the routine, and in this guide I reveal all that learning so that you can implement the routine properly right from the start, and reap the tremendous rewards that are possible. This is my homage to the great routine, and the account I wish I’d had when I was a youngster. Had it been around then, I’d have ripped it off the bookshelf, paid for it in a hurry, rushed home, immersed myself in it, and then put its guidance into relentless practice. It would have improved my progress no end. But what it couldn’t do for me back then, it can do for you right now.

“Why did you write this guide now, and not many years ago?“

Once I started on the manual, I asked myself this same question, but the idea for the guide hadn’t entered my head until the end of 2010. Since 1989 I’ve written a dozen or so brief articles on the legendary routine, but even in total those articles didn’t get even close to doing justice to this terrific routine. Although I’ve had extensive personal experience of the routine for many years, it was only after my stints on it — culminating in my 20-rep deadlift with 400 pounds — that I amassed the essential additional information I required to be able to present the best ways to implement the famous routine.

As of 2013 it’s 22 years since BRAWN was first published, and 15 since BEYOND BRAWN was first published. I wanted to write a new guide to appeal to a new generation of readers, yet also appeal to readers familiar with my earlier guides who are interested in rekindling their bodybuilding progress.

Furthermore, it seems to me that, more than ever, bodybuilding is moving further than ever from what really works for hardgainers in particular. Thus, the time to revive a classic routine, but with vital modifications to modernize and improve it, was right for several reasons.